Improvement in horse hay-rakes



E. KNAPP. Horse Hay-Rake.

No. 202,833. Patented April 23, 1878.

In van far.-

Zy Avis Afiarmeys N.PETERS, PHQTD UTHDGRAPHER, WASHINGYON. D C

UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR KNAPP, OF STANFOBDVILLE, NEW YORK.

I'MP'RQVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,833, dated Apiil23, 1878; application filed v January 3, 11578.

.To all whom itma-y concern:

fordville, Dutchess county, New York. have in- 3 vented certain ne'w'anduseful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes, of which the following is aspecification:-

The chief object of my invention is to provide a means by which therake-teeth may automatically adjust themselves in an effective manner tothe irregularities of the ground over which they pass; and the leadingfeatures of the invention consist in an improved fingerboard, whichgoverns the teeth, so hung or arranged in its supports as to be capableof rising bodily or of yielding obliquely at either end to the action ofthe teeth, in correspondence with the irregularities of the ground overwhich they pass, the said finger board or boards being arranged inindependent section s, supported at either end in slotted arms, anddepressed by springs, which are centrally pivoted, and bear at each endon the centers of two adjoining boards, by which an equalizing effect isproduced, as hereinafter set forth.

The annexed. drawings present views of as much of a horse-hay-rake as isnecessary to illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a view transversely of the axle, and Fig. 2 is a viewlengthwise of the same.

The axle a is constructed and arranged in the usual way, and providedwith the usual number of twenty teeth, b 1), arranged at equal intervalsalong the axle, a portion only belng shown. For the purposes of myinvention I divide these twenty teeth into a number of independentsections, preferably into four sections of five teeth each, two of whichsections are shown in the drawings. The teeth I) b are pivoted to theaxle at e, Fig. 1, in the usual manner, and each tooth is free to turnon this pivot, so as to freely rise or fall; but their rise or positionis governed by the adjustable fingerboards A A, in and around which theessence of my invention consists.

The boards A A, as shown, extend parallel with the axle, and areprovided with the usual slots or openin gs c 0, through which the teethpass, each board governing one section of teeth, and being independentof the other. The boards are supported at each end by slotted arms B B,which extend from and are fixed to the axle a, and they are free to moveup and down in the slots of these arms; but the boards are pressed down,to hold the teeth to the worl by strong springs C, Fig. 2, which may beof the flat kind shown, secured at the cen ter to one of the arms B,extending in opposite directions, and bearing on the centers of the.adjoining boards A A or the springs may be of the spiral form and hearat each end of the boards, or of the form shown at O in Fig. 1, or ofany other equivalent construction. The springs O are, however,preferably pivoted at the center, and adjustable up or down on the armsB, to regulate their pressure on the boards, and they are madepreferably in the manner shown in Fig. 3viz., of strong spring-wire,wound in acoil at the center, and extending straight and equally inopposite directions, this form being very simple, cheap, and efl'ective.

It will now be understood that as the boards A A are free to rise in theslotted arms B at either of their ends, they thus permit the rise of theteeth at either one end of the section or the other, or the wholesection of teeth can rise up bodily, according as the irregularity ofthe ground occurs at one end of the section or at the other, oruniformly along one whole section of teeth, the springs in either caseholding the teeth to the work in an equable manner, whether such rise ofthe teeth occurs on a slanting or one-sided direction, as shown on theright of Fig. .2, or otherwise.

It will be observed that the effect of the spring 0 being pivoted at thecenter and bearing at either end on the centers of the two adjoiningfinger-boards is to transfer and equalize the pressure over the twoadjoining sections of teeth, so that although one section may rise andthe other remain down, yet the same pressure will bear on one as on theother, notwithstanding their different positionsa result of considerableimportance.

The whole number of the rake-teeth being thus divided into separatesections, each governed by an independent automatically-adjustingfinger-board, the teeth along the whole line of the axle can thus adjustthemselves in a perfect manner to the exact outline of the ground overwhich they pass.

Instead of the springs G, the position of the boards may be governedfrom the drivers seat by a foot-lever bearing on the boards, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or by a cord extending from thefinger-board to the seat; but the arrangement shown is much preferred.

By means of the bolts or fastenings f f, the finger-boards may be raisedmore or less in the slots of the arms, so as to hold the points of theteeth at any required distance from the surface of the ground, andprevent their descent below this; and in heavy raking, where it isdesired to have the teeth rigid and not automatically yielding, thefinger-boards may be locked rigidly in the slots at the desired heightby the bolts ff, and by a proper disposition of these fastenings anydegree of play or rigidity may be given to the finger-boards.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. In a hay-rake, anautomatically-adjusting finger-board, which controls a series of teeth,and which is so hung in its supports as to be capable of rising bodily,and of yielding obliquely at either end to the action of the teeth, incorrespondence with the irregularities of the ground over which theypass, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In combination with the axlea and teeth b Z1, an adjusting sectionalfinger board or boards, A A, capable of rising bodily or obliquely, anddepressed by springs G, pivoted at their centers, and bearing at eachend on the centers of the adjoining fin ger-boards, substantially as andfor the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the axle a and teeth b, of the adjustingfinger-boards A and slotted arms B B, substantially as herein set orth.

4. The combination, with the axle a and teeth I), of the adjusting finger-board A, springs O, and slotted arms B B, substantially as hereinset forth.

5. In a hay-rake, the centrally-pivoted and oppositely-extending springG, in combination with the movable finger-boards A A, substantially asset forth.

EDGAR KNAPP.

Witnesses E. H. WALES, CHAS. M. HIGGINS.

